Bell 206 JetRanger / LongRanger
Bell 206 JetRanger
Role	Multipurpose Utility helicopter
National origin	Canada
Manufacturer	Bell Helicopter Textron
First flight	December 8, 1962 (206)[1] 10 January 1966 (206A)[2]
Introduction	1967
Status	In service Not in production
Primary users	CHC Helicopter Albanian Air Force
Produced	1967-2010
Number built	7,300[3]
Unit cost	US$900K to $1.2M[3]
Developed from	Bell YOH-4
Variants	OH-58 Kiowa Panha Shabaviz 2061
Developed into	Bell 407

The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected. Bell redesigned the airframe and successfully marketed the aircraft commercially as the five-place Bell 206A JetRanger. The new design was eventually selected by the Army as the OH-58 Kiowa. Bell also developed a seven-place LongRanger, which was later offered with a twin-engine option as the TwinRanger, while Tridair Helicopters offers a similar conversion of the LongRanger called the Gemini ST. The ICAO-assigned model designation "B06" is used on flight plans for the JetRanger and LongRanger, and the designation "B06T" is used for the twin-engine TwinRangers.

Development[link]

On October 14, 1960, the United States Navy solicited response from 25 aircraft manufacturers to a request for proposals (RFP) on behalf of the Army for the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). Bell entered the competition along with 12 other manufacturers, including Hiller Aircraft and Hughes Tool Co., Aircraft Division.^[4] Bell submitted the D-250 design, which would be designated as the YHO-4.^[5] On May 19, 1961, Bell and Hiller were announced as winners of the design competition.^[6][7]

YOH-4A LOH in flight

Bell developed the D-250 design into the Bell 206 aircraft, redesignated as YOH-4A in 1962, and produced five prototype aircraft for the Army's test and evaluation phase. The first prototype flew on December 8, 1962.^[1] The YOH-4A also became known as the Ugly Duckling in comparison to the other contending aircraft.^[1] Following a flyoff of the Bell, Hughes and Fairchild-Hiller prototypes, the Hughes OH-6 was selected in May 1965.^[8]

When the YOH-4A was eliminated by the Army, Bell went about solving the problem of marketing the aircraft. In addition to the image problem, the helicopter lacked cargo space and only provided cramped quarters for the planned three passengers in the back. The solution was a fuselage redesigned to be more sleek and aestheticly appealing, adding 16 cubic feet (0.45 m³) of cargo space in the process.^[9] A Bell executive contributed to this redesign by drawing on a sketch two lines extending the fuselage to where it meets the tail.^[10] The redesigned aircraft was designated as the Bell 206A, and Bell President Edwin J. Ducayet named it the JetRanger denoting an evolution from the popular Model 47J Ranger.

206L LongRanger[link]

The 206L LongRanger is a stretched variant with seating for seven (the LongRanger, stretched a total of 30 inches (760 mm), adds two rear-facing seats in between the front and rear seats). Since their first delivery in 1975, Bell has produced more than 1,700 Ls across all variant types. In 1981 a military version was released, the 206L "TexasRanger". The original 206L utilized an Allison 250-C20B engine, and a series of model upgrades replaced this engine with more powerful versions; the 206L-1 used a 250-C28, and the 206L-3 and 206L-4 used the 250-C30P with 490 shaft horsepower and included twin turbine engines.^{[clarification needed]}

In 2007, Bell announced an upgrade program for the 206L-1 and 206L-3 which is designed to modify the aircraft to the 206L-4 configuration; modified aircraft are designated 206L-1+ and 206L-3+. Modifications include strengthened airframe structural components (including a new tailboom), improved transmission, upgraded engine for the L-1, all of which result in a max gross weight increase of 300 pounds and increased performance.^[11]

On January 24, 2008, Bell Helicopter announced plans to terminate production of the Bell 206B-3 model after current order commitments were fulfilled in 2010.^[12] In 2011, used 206B-3s sell for approximately up to $1.4 million depending upon the equipment and configuration.^[13]

Gemini ST and TwinRanger[link]

The TwinRanger name dates back to the mid-1980s when Bell first developed the Bell 400 TwinRanger, but it never entered production.^[14]

In 1989, Tridair Helicopters began developing a twin engine conversion of the LongRanger, the Gemini ST. The prototype's first flight was on 16 January 1991, while full FAA certification was awarded in November. Certification covers the conversion of LongRanger 206L-1s, L-3s and L-4s to Gemini ST configuration.^[14] In mid-1994 the Gemini ST was certificated as the first Single/Twin aircraft, allowing it to operate either as a single or twin engine aircraft throughout all phases of flight.^[14]

The Bell 206LT TwinRanger was a new build production model equivalent to Tridair's Gemini ST, and was based on the 206L-4. Only thirteen 206LTs were built, the first being delivered in January 1994, and the last in 1997. The TwinRanger was replaced in Bell's line-up by the mostly-new Bell 427.^[14]

Operational history[link]

Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger IV (operated by CTV British Columbia), taking off from Vancouver Harbour helipad.

The first Bell 206A flew on January 10, 1966, and the aircraft was revealed later that month at the Helicopter Association of America (HAA) convention. On October 20, 1966, the JetRanger received full certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Delivery of the JetRanger to customers began on January 13, 1967, with the first aircraft being purchased by Harry Holly, president of the Hollymatic Company and previous owner of a Bell Ranger.^[9]

In 1968, the United States Navy selected the 206A as its primary trainer, the TH-57 Sea Ranger. The Army also eventually selected the 206A for a light observation helicopter as the OH-58 Kiowa.

The basic shape and design of the JetRanger remained unchanged since 1967, but Bell introduced the 206B JetRanger II in 1971. In 1977, the 206B-3 JetRanger III was introduced with its modified tail rotor and more powerful engine. The JetRanger is popular with news media for traffic and news reporting. The LongRanger is commonly used as an air ambulance and as a corporate transport.

On September 1, 1982, pilots H. Ross Perot, Jr. and Jay Coburn took off from Dallas, Texas in the "Spirit of Texas", a Bell 206L-2 (N3911Z). 29 days and 3 hours later, they returned on September 30, 1982, completing the first around the world helicopter flight.^[15] In 1983, Australian Businessman Dick Smith became the first helicopter pilot to complete a solo trip around the world in 260 flight hours. During the trip, he landed his 206B-3 (S/N 3653; VH-DIK) on prepositioned container ships to refuel between Japan and the Aleutian Islands.

In 1993, the U.S. Army chose the Bell 206B-3 as the winner of the National Training Helicopter competition, to serve as its primary training helicopter, the TH-67 Creek.

On July 22, 1994, Ron Bower landed his 206B-3 (N206AJ) at Hurst, Texas, completing a new world record, around the world flight. Bower had departed on June 24, 1994 and returned 24 days, 4 hours, 36 minutes and 24 seconds later, averaging 35.62 knots (40.99 mph, 65.97 km/h).^[16] Bower had added a 91-gallon auxiliary fuel tank, which doubled the JetRanger III's range.^[17]

Variants[link]

A Bell 206L-3

Civilian[link]

• Bell 206 - Five (5) YOH-4A prototypes, for flight evaluation in the Army's LOH program (1963).
• Bell 206A - Initial production version, powered by an Allison 250-C18 turboshaft engine. FAA-certified in 1966. Selected as the OH-58A Kiowa in 1968.
  • Agusta-Bell 206A - License-built in Italy
• Bell 206A-1 - OH-58A aircraft that are reverse-modified for FAA civil certification.^[18]
• Agusta-Bell 206A-1 - License-built in Italy
• Bell 206B - Upgraded Allison 250-C20 engine.^[19]
  • Agusta-Bell 206B - License-built in Italy
• Bell 206B-2 - Bell 206B models upgraded with Bell 206B-3 improvements.^[19]
• Bell 206B-3 - Upgraded Allison 250-C20J engine and added 2 inches (51 mm) to tail rotor diameter for yaw control.^[19]
• Bell 206L LongRanger - Stretched, seven seat configuration, powered by an Allison 250-C20B turboshaft engine.
  • Agusta-Bell 206L LongRanger — License-built in Italy
• Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II - Higher-powered version, powered by an Allison 250-C28 turboshaft engine.
  • Agusta-Bell 206L-1 - License-built in Italy.
• Bell 206L-1+ LongRanger - Bell modifications, including 250-C30P engine, to upgrade aircraft to 206L-4 configuration.
• Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III - Powered by an Allison 250-C30P turboshaft engine.
  • Agusta-Bell 206L-3 - License-built in Italy.
• Bell 206L-3+ LongRanger - Bell modifications to upgrade aircraft to 206L-4 configuration.
• Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV - Improved version, 250-C30P engine and transmission upgrade.
• Bell 206LT TwinRanger - Twin-engined conversions and new-builds of the 206L; replaced by the Bell 427.
• Bell 407 - based on the 206L with four-bladed rotor system
• Bell 417 - upgraded 407 with bigger engine; project cancelled.

Military[link]

Bell 206L TexasRanger in 1981

US Navy TH-57C

Bell 206AS 

Export version for the Chilean Navy.

Bell CH-139 JetRanger 

Canadian military designation for the Bell 206B-3.

OH-58 Kiowa 

Light observation helicopter that replaced the OH-6A Cayuse.

TH-57A 

40 commercial Bell 206A aircraft purchased as the primary U.S. Navy helicopter trainer in January 1968, designated "Sea Ranger".[1]

206L TexasRanger 

proposed export military version, only a demonstrator was built in 1981.

TH-57B 

45 commercial Bell 206B-3 helicopters purchased in 1989 as replacements for the TH-57A for primary training under visual flight rules.

TH-57C 

71 commercial Bell 206B-3 helicopters purchased beginning prior to 1985 with cockpits configured for advanced training under instrument flight rules.

TH-57D 

Planned upgrade program to convert TH-57B and TH-57C to a single standard digital cockpit.[2]

TH-67 Creek 

137 commercial Bell 206B-3 purchased in 1993 as the primary helicopter trainer for the U.S. Army. 35 in VFR configuration and 102 in IFR configuration.[3]

Operators[link]

Military operators of the Bell 206 as of 2006

Bell 206A Jet Ranger, built 1967

Bell 206B Jet Ranger III at Filton Airfield, Bristol, England. Used for electricity pylon patrols.

TH-67A Creek of the U.S. Army

Civil[link]

The Bell 206 has been popular with many air charter companies and other small operators. Major fleet operators have included:

 Canada

• Trinity Helicopters Canada

 Egypt

• Petroleum Air Services

 Finland

• Copterline

 India

 Nigeria

• Bristow Helicopters

 New Zealand

• Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust
• Northland Emergency Services Trust

 Sri Lanka

• Deccan Lanka

Military and government[link]

 Albania

• Albanian Air Force

 Argentina

• Argentine Army Aviation

 Bangladesh

• Bangladesh Army
• Bangladesh Air Force

 Brazil

• Brazilian Air Force
• Brazilian Navy

 Brunei

• Royal Brunei Air Force

 Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Air Force

 Cameroon

• Cameroon Air Force

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force

 Chile

• Chilean Air Force
• Chilean Navy
• Chilean Police (Carabineros de Chile)

 Colombia

• National Police of Colombia
• Colombian Air Force

 Croatia

• Croatian Air Force
• Croatian Police

 Finland

• Finnish Border Guard

 Iran

• Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

 Israel

• Israeli Air Force

 Italy

• Italian Army

 Jamaica

• Jamaica Defence Force

 Malta

• Armed Forces of Malta

 Mexico

• Mexican Air Force
• Various Police Forces

 Monaco

• Military of Monaco

 Pakistan

• Pakistan Army

 Philippines

• Philippine Army
• Philippine Navy
• Philippine Air Force

 Puerto Rico

• Puerto Rico Police Department
• San Juan Police Department

 Republic of China (Taiwan)

• Republic of China Army

 Serbia

• Serbian Ministry of the Interior

 Slovenia

• Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence

 United States

• United States Army
• United States Navy

 Venezuela

• Venezuelan Army
• Venezuelan Navy
• Venezuelan National Guard

Former Military and government[link]

 Chile

• Chilean Army ^[20]

 Finland

• Finnish Air Force

 Iran

• Imperial Iranian Air Force

 Libya

• Libyan Air Force. 4 purchesd from Italy

 Sweden

• Swedish Air Force (B206A 1 unit)
• Swedish Army (B206A 22 units 1968-2004)
• Swedish Navy (B206B 10 units 1970-2002)

Specifications (206B-3)[link]

Data from {Bell 206B-3 Product Specifications}^[21]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 pilot
• Capacity: 4 passengers
• Length: 39 ft 8 in (12.11 m)
• Rotor diameter: 33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
• Height: 9 ft 4 in (2.83 m)
• Disc area: 872 ft² (81.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,713 lb (777 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 3,200 lb (1,451 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Allison 250-C20J turboshaft, 420 shp (310 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 130 knots (224 km/h, 139 mph)
• Range: 374 nmi (430 mi, 693 km)
• Service ceiling: 13,500 ft (4,115 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,350 ft/min (6.9 m/s)
• Disc loading: 4 lb/ft² (177 N/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.26 hp/lb (420 W/kg)

See also[link]

An LAPD Bell 206 JetRanger

Related development

• Bell 407
• OH-58 Kiowa
• Panha Shabviz 2061
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Eurocopter Ecureuil
• Eurocopter EC 130
• MD Helicopters MD 500
• HAL Dhruv
• PZL SW-4
• Robinson R66
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
  

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bell 206

• Bell Model 206B-3 page on Bell's site
• Bell Model 206L-4 page on Bell's site
• Bell Model 206 GlobalSecurity.org
• Bell Model 206 at aircraft.co.za]
• TH-57 military version at GlobalSecurity.org
• Austrian Armed Forces Agusta Bell AB 206

Look up Bell or bell in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Bell may refer to:

Sound and music[link]

• Bell (instrument), a percussion instrument, usually cup-shaped
• Bell (wind instrument)
• Bell cymbal, a type of cymbal, tending to be thick and uniformly so, and small
• Cymbal bell, the most central part of a cymbal
• Bell effect, a musical technique

Signals[link]

• Bell (school), a signal used for transitions during a school day
• Church bell, indicating when to go to church
• Doorbell, a signaling device to alert residents to visitors
• Division bell, used in a parliament to call members to a vote
• Last call bell, a signal that a bar is closing soon
• Ship's bell, a signal for marking time on a ship
• A signal from an engine order telegraph, a communications device used on a ship or submarine

Businesses[link]

Telecommunications[link]

• Bell Canada, a Canadian telecommunications company
• Bell Mobility, a wireless network selling services in Canada
• Bell Aliant, a communications company providing services in eastern Canada
• Bell System, the organization that provided telephone service in the United States until 1984
• Bell Telephone Company, founded in 1877 by family of Alexander Graham Bell
• Illinois Bell, the name of the Bell Operating Company serving Illinois
• Indiana Bell, the Bell Operating Company serving Indiana
• Michigan Bell, the subsidiary of AT&T serving the state of Michigan
• Nevada Bell, the Bell System's telephone provider in Nevada
• New Jersey Bell, (1904–1983)
• Ohio Bell, the Bell Operating Company serving most of Ohio
• Pacific Bell, the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California
• Regional Bell Operating Company, any of the phone companies spun-off from AT&T in 1984
• Wisconsin Bell, (1984–1999)
• Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell

Other[link]

• Bell Labs, a research & development organization founded by AT&T
• Bell TV, a division of Bell Canada
• Bell Aircraft, an aircraft manufacturer of the United States
• Bell Helicopter, an American rotorcraft manufacturer headquartered in Hurst, Texas
• Bell Media, a Canadian media company, operated by Bell Canada
• Bell Records, a record label
• Bell Sports Inc., a helmet manufacturer
• Bell's Brewery, based in Michigan

Transportation[link]

• Bell (cyclecar), a British 3 wheeled cyclecar made in 1920 by W.G. Bell of Rochester, Kent
• Bell (METRORail station), Houston, Texas, United States
• Bell railway station, Melbourne, Australia
• Bell railway station, New South Wales, Australia
• USS Bell, either of two U.S. Navy ships
• Bell tailslide, an aerobatic maneuver

Places[link]

Australia[link]

• Bell, New South Wales
• Bell, Queensland

Canada[link]

• Bell Island, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Bell Peninsula, Nunavut

Germany[link]

• Bell, Mayen-Koblenz, a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany
• Bell, Rhein-Hunsrück, an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Uganda[link]

• Port Bell, Lake Victoria

United Kingdom[link]

• Bell End

United States[link]

• Bell, California
• Bell, Florida
• Bell, Illinois
• Bell, Oklahoma
• Bell, Wisconsin
• Bell Canyon, California
• Bell City, Missouri
• Bell County, Kentucky
• Bell County, Texas
• Bell Township, Pennsylvania (disambiguation)
• Bell Creek (disambiguation)
• Bell Mountain AVA, Texas wine region in Gillespie County
• Bell Mountain Wilderness, in 1980

Outer space[link]

• Bell (crater), on the far side of the Moon

Other uses[link]

• Bell (surname), a list of people with the surname Bell
• Bell (fictional currency)
• Bell (typeface), a typeface designed in 1788 by Richard Austin
• Bell character, a device control code
• Bell Centre, a stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Bell High School (disambiguation)
• Bell House (disambiguation)
• Diving bell, a cable-suspended underwater airtight chamber
• The body of a jellyfish
• Bell XFL Airabonita, an experimental shipboard interceptor aircraft
• Closing Bell can refer to two CNBC programs
• The Fishing Bell, a 1917 Hungarian film directed by Michael Curtiz
• SS Empire Bell, a 1,744 GRT collier which was built by Öresundsvarvet, Landskrona, Sweden as the 2,023 GRT passenger ship Belgia in 1930
• Bell Challenge, a WTA Tour Tier III tennis tournament held in Quebec
• Bell Sensplex, a four-pad ice facility in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Bell Fibe TV, an IP-based television service offered in Ontario and Quebec
• Sigismund Bell, the largest of the five bells hanging in the Sigismund Tower of the Wawel Cathedral in the Polish city of Kraków
• Bell Lightbox, a skyscraper in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Bell Sports Complex, a sports facility in Brossard, Quebec, Canada
• Campus Bell, headquarters of Bell Canada on Nuns' Island in Montreal, Canada

See also[link]

• Bell (surname)
• The Bell (disambiguation)
• Bells (disambiguation)
• The Bells (disambiguation)
• Bel (disambiguation)
• Belle (disambiguation)
• Bell number, in mathematics
• Bell curve (disambiguation)
• Bell polynomials, in mathematics
• Bell state, in quantum information science
• Bell, Book & Candle (disambiguation)

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